


The New Normal

by natashasbanner



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, F/M, Family Bonding, Healing, Multi, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24540457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/pseuds/natashasbanner
Summary: Adjusting to life after saving the world was easier said than done. It took time, but Macy was working on it, one step at a time.Macy-centric, post season one AU.
Relationships: Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn, Macy Vaughn & Maggie Vera & Mel Vera
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I was at a loss for something to write about a week ago and I had a vague idea and it turned into this. Exactly what this is, I'm still not sure but I thought I'd post it anyway. Please enjoy.

Macy always liked the rain. She found it cleansing. It had been raining for days, an unrelenting downpour that pounded against the house and streamed from the roof in sheets. Maggie and Mel already voiced their displeasure with the dreary weather on multiple occasions, but Macy reveled in it. 

It was Saturday, and without work or any incident in the magical community that required their attention, Macy found herself on the balcony outside her room. She hadn’t been out there much since moving in, only stepping out once every couple weeks to water the plants their mother kept out here. There were empty pots sitting on the ledge and on the ground that Macy cleared of dead plants weeks ago and she was toying with the idea of growing some of the herbs they used for potions. If things kept up the way they were going, she might even be able to keep them alive for more than a few days. 

There hadn’t been much demon activity in Hilltowne since word got out in the magical world that Macy had taken on the Source. Not many demons wanted to tangle with the Charmed Ones right now. With Mel and Harry taking on the bulk of the work in dealing with the witches and other magical creatures that showed up at their doorstep and Maggie was focusing on her schoolwork, Macy had so much time.

So much time that in the last few months, more than once Macy wished for some sort of magical emergency to distract her from all of the time she had on her hands. It was horrible, she knew that but that didn’t stop the thought from creeping up on her when she was left alone. Which seemed to be more often than not. 

It was almost funny, really. They’d gone out of their way to make Macy feel more included, more secure in her place in the family. It had been too much too fast though and Macy pushed them away again, to give herself room to breathe. She appreciated everything Mel and Maggie tried to do, but all Macy wanted was space. Space to try and wrap her head around everything that happened in the last year, now that the immediate threat of the apocalypse was averted. If wrapping her head around everything was even possible. They’d gone through enough to last several lifetimes. 

In a span of less than twelve months her life had been turned upside down more times than she could count. Was there really any coming back from that? Some days she thought that if she shoved everything down and kept pushing forward, then she’d be okay. 

But with all the time and all the space, the only thing she could do was think. Think about her mother, about her dad, about her sisters and their new responsibilities, about Galvin. 

Thinking about Galvin always sent a sharp pang through her chest. At first the pain was too much and Macy felt like she couldn’t breathe whenever she thought of him. She learned to accept his decision, made peace with the fact that he chose to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Eventually the pain started to wan, leaving only a dull ache behind. An ache that Macy knew how to deal with. 

She blew out a breath as the rain started to pick up again, slanting into the balcony and splashing back at Macy’s feet. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. 

She’d have to go inside soon. If it wasn’t the rain, then the low grumbling in her stomach would require her attention, but she was reluctant to leave her spot. She’d woken up to the delicious smell of scones baking, but Maggie and Mel’s voices as they headed downstairs stopped her from getting out of bed. 

Macy reminded herself that she was the one that asked for space, but she wasn’t sure she wanted it anymore. The only problem was that she didn’t know how to bridge that gap with them again, bridge that gap with Harry. 

So there she sat, on the balcony in the rain. 

* * *

Shaking her head, she brought her hands up to cover her face, pressing her fingers into her eyes. 

Macy felt ridiculous. She was hiding outside to avoid her family, the family that fought through all of her altered realities to get her back. They promised they’d be there for her. Always, her brain supplied in Harry’s soft, yet firm voice. She remembered the warmth of their collective embrace, his cheek pressed against hers, he sisters pressed tightly between them. 

And still, she remained glued to the damp wicker bench, curled into herself. 

Harry’s voice repeated over and over in her head, “always,”. 

Thinking about Harry wasn’t something Macy let herself do often. Because if she let herself think about Harry, everything she’d heard in his thoughts came flooding back into her mind. The thoughts she was supposed to forget all of that so they could move forward without complicating their relationship. 

The damage was done though and Macy didn’t want to forget. She didn’t want to forget the overwhelming warmth that rushed into her the second he touched her arm. The raw emotion behind every word he unintentionally let her hear washed over her like a tidal wave, rolling and tumbling against the intoxicating power of the Source. 

And for an instant she felt like she could breathe, like she wasn’t going to lose herself and everything else to the power she’d absorbed. A single breath of air when she was drowning. 

But the Source fought back, caught her by the ankle and dragged her back into the abyss. Her insecurities and pain were thrust over her, crashing into her at an impossible rate, pulling her down as she helplessly tried to claw her way back to the surface. She fought like hell to find the surface again, to take one more breath, get one more glimpse of one of the best parts of her life, but it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t strong enough. 

Macy pushed him away, pushed them all away before they had the chance to leave her, and gave in to the power. 

She was supposed to forget and in a way she had. The words were lost in most of the finer details of everything that happened that day, but the feelings behind them were hard to let go. Instead she clung to them, held on to that moment when she couldn’t seek comfort from Harry himself or her sisters. 

Macy loved Harry, she knew that much. How could she not? He’d become their family. For her though, there was more than just a familial bond, one that had been there for a long time if she really thought about it. 

She was drawn to him, from the moment they met. Well maybe not the moment since he’d kidnapped her and her sisters and tied them to chairs in the attic, but very soon after. They were incredibly similar and someone more romantic might call them kindred spirits. 

But everything was so complicated. Macy couldn’t even begin to fathom a reality where a relationship, that was any more than what they had now, would not end catastrophically. And losing Harry too was more than she thought she could take. 

No, they were just finding their balance again, adding anything else to the mix was asking for trouble. 

* * *

Lightning flashed across the sky, but it was the thunder that shook Macy out of her thoughts. She blinked and her eyes landed on the puddle forming on the ledge. If she was going to grow those herbs, she’d have to figure out a way to divert the water to keep it from flooding her planters. She ran over the list of materials she’d need to get and which stores in town she could find them. 

Thinking about the herbs calmed her turbulent thoughts and the sound of the rain and thunder grounded her. She felt better than she had when she’d wandered outside, less on edge. 

Without the distraction though, the growling in her stomach became all the more apparent. She really needed to go downstairs and eat, maybe have a few cups of coffee. Her leg muscles protested when she moved to put her feet back on the ground, but she stood from the chair and stretched her arms over her head. 

Mel was in her room when she opened the door, setting a tray holding a plate of scones and a cup of tea on the trunk at the foot of her bed. 

“Hey,” Macy said, a little surprised. 

Mel straightened up and offered a small smile. “We thought you might be hungry,” she said, waving at the tray before shoving her hands in her pants pockets. “And I know how much you like Harry’s scones.” 

Macy smiled. “Thank you.” 

“It was nothing.” 

Macy walked over and sat down next to the tray, peeking into the tea cup. Just the way she liked it. She bit her bottom lip and picked up one of the scones. Still warm. 

She looked up and saw Mel hovering, shifting from foot to foot. She had a look on her face, like she wanted to say something, but was holding back. They did that a lot these days and usually Macy would tell them she was fine so they’d drop it. But it was time to bridge that gap. 

“What are you doing today?” she asked, tearing off a piece of the scone and popping it into her mouth. 

“I uh, nothing,” Mel said, her eyes betraying her surprise. “Not until later tonight.”

Macy finished chewing and shrugged her shoulders, tearing another piece of the scone. “I was thinking about going shopping, some company would be nice. Since you’re not busy.” 

Mel’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?” 

“Yeah.” 

“I’d like that,” Mel said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Maggie should be back from Kappa in a few hours, if you don’t mind waiting?” 

Macy returned her smile. “I’ll text her.” 

“Okay,” Mel nodded jerkily. 

“Okay,” Macy repeated.

Mel lingered for a beat longer before turning on her heel and heading for the door. Macy watched her go, the urge to call her back bubbling in her chest. She didn’t know what she was going to say, but she wanted her to stay. Just a little bit longer. 

“Mel?” 

She turned around, her hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?” 

“Uh, I um,” Macy stuttered under Mel’s expectant gaze. “Uh, thanks for bringing this up for me. I really appreciate it.” 

“You’d do the same for me,” Mel said, not a shred of doubt in her tone. 

Macy swallowed and nodded, dropping her eyes to the tray. She waited for the door to open and close again before she let out a long breath. 

Bridging the gap, one step at a time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy :)

“This couldn’t wait until it stopped raining?” Maggie complained as they turned the corner off of main street. 

She was struggling to keep up with Macy who held the umbrella they were sharing. Macy glanced over and slowed down to match her pace, shifting the umbrella to cover her more. Maggie had been over the moon at their impromptu shopping trip. And she eagerly latched onto Macy’s idea for the balcony garden. 

“It’s been raining for days,” Mel said from behind them. “We all have time today. Might as well make the most of it.” 

“Sorry,” Maggie grumbled, looping her arm through Macy’s to keep her from speeding up again. “I haven’t had a good hair day in weeks, excuse me for being a little grumpy.” 

“A little?” Mel questioned with scoff. 

Maggie looked over her shoulder, jerking Macy’s arm a little to make a face at Mel. She felt the cold water from the ground splash against the back of her legs and imagined Mel kicking at a puddle in retaliation to Maggie’s face making. 

Macy chuckled to herself as Maggie faced forward again. She missed this, the endearingly juvenile moments where they were nothing more than three sisters. She regretted keeping them at arms length for so long. 

Maggie bumped her shoulder against hers and Macy swallowed, looking over with her eyebrows raised. 

“You’re being awfully quiet,” Maggie said, her voice quiet. “You okay?” 

“Fine,” Macy said, feeling her jaw tightening involuntarily. 

“You sure?”

She shrugged Maggie’s hand away and straightened her shoulders. “I said I’m fine.” 

Macy didn’t mean to be so short and she knew Maggie meant well, but it was her knee jerk reaction. It made her feel like they were walking on eggshells around her, waiting for her to crumble. She wasn’t going to crumble. She wasn’t going break. Macy missed her sisters, but she didn’t want to spend the day feeling like a burden. 

Macy stopped and turned around to face them. Maggie’s eyes shone with quiet concern and Mel looked apprehensive. 

“Look,” she started with a sigh. “I promise I’m okay. I just want to go shopping. Okay?” 

They were silent an uncomfortably long time as they stared at her. It was Mel who spoke first. 

“The store’s just around the corner,” she said, pointing down the road. “Should have everything we’re looking for.” 

Maggie offered a small smile. “And we have to stop in the antique store.” 

“Great,” Macy said, holding her arm out for Maggie again. She was relieved that she took it without hesitation. “Let’s go.” 

Macy caught Mel’s smirk, as Maggie tugged her along again. Macy let out a breath. Not a great start, but at least they were back to familiar. 

* * *

Mel was right, they got seeds, starter pots, soil and some new gardening tools all in one place. They put it all in the car and Maggie dragged Macy and Mel to the antique store by the hands. Mel drifted off on her own when they stepped inside, but Maggie stayed by Macy’s side, lazily guiding her through the winding rows of antiques.

She didn’t say much outside of pointing out a few things that would be nice to replace some of the furniture they’d lost to the never ending stream of creatures, good and evil, passing through the house. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier,” Macy said when Maggie stopped them in front of a display of incomplete dining sets. “You didn’t deserve that.” 

Maggie shrugged and let go of her arm to pick up a tea cup from the shelf. “It’s okay.” 

“It’s not,” Macy argued, shaking her head. 

“We can be overbearing and you asked for space,” Maggie said, returning the tea cup to its place. “I can’t help but worry sometimes.” 

“I know.” Macy followed behind her as she moved further down the row of shelves. “But we all went through hell last year. You have your own stuff to deal with. I don’t want to be another one of your problems.” 

Maggie let out a snort and picked up a plate, tracing her finger over the floral pattern that wove around the edge. 

“What?” Macy asked, turning to look at the mismatched assortment of cups and bowls. 

“For someone so smart, you can be really dumb sometimes, Mace.” Maggie put the plate back and kept moving down the shelf. “No offense.” 

Macy chuckled softly, tilting her head to one side. “I’m a little offended.” 

“You’re my sister, whether you like it or not you are my problem. Mel too. Forever.” she said, meeting Macy’s eyes with a soft smile. “You might not need us there all the time, but we’re here. Just in case.” 

Macy reached out and pulled Maggie against her. Maggie’s arms wound around her waist and held her tightly. 

“I love you, Mags.” Macy said softly and she heard Maggie sniff against her coat. “I’m here for you too. Forever.” 

Maggie pulled away, shaking her head and swiping at the tears that had dripped onto her cheeks. 

“Well, this is embarrassing,” she said with short laugh, meeting Macy’s eyes. 

Macy reached out and squeezed her shoulder, offering a smile. Tears stung her own eyes, but they didn’t fall. She was too good at keeping them in. 

“It’s not exactly ideal to be having this conversation in the middle of a store.” 

Maggie laughed and looked at Macy seriously. “But it needed to be said. We’re better together and all that right?” 

Macy nodded, looping her arm through Maggie’s. “Right,” she agreed. 

“There you are,” Mel said, coming around the corner. She faltered for a moment, taking in their red rimmed eyes and the fresh tear tracks in Maggie’s makeup. “Everything okay?”

Macy glanced over at Maggie who nodded. “We’re good.” 

“Good.” She blew out a breath and dragged a hand through her hair. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving. You wanna grab something to eat?” 

“Definitely,” Macy said. 

“Not before I’ve had a chance to fix,” Maggie gestured at her face with her free hand. “All of this.” 

Mel rolled her eyes and turned for the door. Macy exchanged a smile with Maggie and followed after Mel, feeling lighter than she had when they walked into the store. 

* * *

Mel picked the diner right around the corner from the antique shop. It wasn’t Macy’s favorite, but it was the closest and there wasn’t a wait. Maggie went back to the car to fix her makeup, while Mel and Macy sat in the booth looking at their menus in silence. 

That feeling returned, the one she got earlier when Mel started to leave after bringing her breakfast. Emboldened by her earlier talk with Maggie, Macy cleared her throat. 

“Mel?” 

Mel flipped the menu over, but didn’t look up. “Huh?”

“There’s something I want to tell you,” Macy said, wringing her hands in her lap. Her palms were sweaty and she felt some of the nerve she’d worked up start to slip away. Maggie was always easier to talk to, but this was something she wanted to talk about with Mel. 

Mel glanced up with a raised eyebrow. “What’s up?” 

Macy opened her mouth, but closed it again, searching for the right words. She clutched her fingers under the table and took a deep breath. Mel watched her, waiting for her to say something. Mel liked direct, so Macy decided that she would just come out with it. Lay everything on the table for Mel to process and analyze and wait for her to respond. 

“I got a job,” she said, dropping her gaze to the table. “My dream job, in Ann Arbor. And I was going to take it.” 

Mel tensed, her jaw tightening visibly. She sucked in a breath and then another before she relaxed against the booth. 

“But you didn’t take it?” she asked, her tone calmer than Macy expected. 

“How could I?” Macy shrugged and words started tumbling out of her before she could stop them. “I was ready to run because everything here hurt so much and it was a chance for a, for a fresh start. Ann Arbor is only two hours away and I could come back to help when you guys needed me to. It was perfect.” 

Mel tilted her head to one side, her expression softening. “What stopped you?” 

“I don’t know. Everytime I started packing or when I worked up the courage to tell you and Maggie, I chickened out. There’s still a half packed suitcase in my closet.” She blew out a breath, shaking her head at herself. “But as much as it hurt to be here, with all the reminders of Galvin and everything else that happened, deep down I knew I didn’t really want to leave. It was just the easiest thing to do at the time.” 

The corner of Mel’s mouth quirked up and she reached across the table, her palm open and inviting. Macy didn’t hesitate taking Mel’s hand and relaxed when she squeezed her fingers. 

“But I have you and Maggie and even though our lives are less than stable on a good day, I realized I don’t want to go back to being alone.” 

“Trust me, you don’t have to worry about being alone ever again,” Mel said softly. She swallowed and her eyes were shining under the fluorescent lights overhead. 

Macy smiled. “So I’ve been told.” 

Mel squeezed her hand again. “And if you ever need to talk, I’m here you know. You don’t have to sit out in the rain by yourself all morning.” 

“I like the rain,” Macy argued. 

Mel pulled her hand away with a low chuckle. She looked back down at the menu, a smile tugging at her lips. 

“You could always join me out there,” Macy said and Mel looked up at her again. “If you ever wanted to talk or anything.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

The click of Maggie’s heels against the floor drew Macy’s attention and she squeezed into the booth beside her. 

“Did you guys order yet?” she asked looking between Macy and Mel. 

“Not yet,” Mel answered, turning her menu over again. 

“We were waiting for you,” Macy said, sliding her menu in front of Maggie. 

Maggie smiled. “Thanks.” 

* * *

“Thank you for coming with me,” Macy said as they walked up the stairs to the front door. “Today was fun.” 

“Just like old times,” Maggie grunted, shifting the bags in her arms. 

“What old times?” Mel asked skeptically and Macy could imagine her raised eyebrow without looking over at her. “There wasn’t exactly time for anything other than preventing the apocalypse since we got our powers.” 

“Well we should make this a regular thing,” Maggie said and Macy caught her sticking her tongue out Mel.

“I agree,” Macy spoke up, moving in front of Maggie to unlock the front door. 

“I’m in too, but maybe next time we could do something that doesn’t involve four hours walking around downtown in the rain,” Mel said, shuffling in behind them. 

Macy walked to set her bags down in the living room and sighed in relief when she shrugged her coat off of her shoulders. 

“Sister Saturdays?” Maggie said, her voice taking on the squeaky quality it got when she was excited. “Just the three of us?” 

“We could see a movie next week,” Macy suggested, rejoining them in the foyer. “Go for drinks after? No walking around in the rain for hours involved.” 

Mel slumped against the door and closed her eyes. “Sounds wonderful,” she pushed herself away from the door suddenly, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “I have to get ready and I smell like a wet dog. Text me when you pick a movie.” 

She was up the stairs before Macy or Maggie could say anything else. Maggie turned to Macy, grinning. 

“This is gonna be so fun and I know the perfect movie for all of us. And can we please find a different bar than The Haunt?” she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

Macy smiled. “Whatever you want, I picked what we did today. Thanks for sticking it out in the rain.” 

“Any time. Do you want some help bringing this stuff upstairs?” She gestured at the bags around foyer. 

Macy shook her head levitating one of the bags for a moment before setting it down gently. “I’ve got it.” 

“Okay. I have to head back over to Kappa, but I’ll text you the movie trailer,” she promised before she hurried out the door. 

Macy stood there for a long time, looking around at the spoils of the day. This was what she missed, just a day with her sisters. No pressing magical emergencies, no work or school or anything else. Just the three of them. It was a step in the right direction, getting back across the bridge between them. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last part, it's where the Harry/Macy tag finally comes into play. Please enjoy :D

Things with Mel and Maggie improved greatly over the next couple months. They had their moments, but their relationship was never all sunshine and rainbows to begin with. It was better though. Macy felt better, like she was actually living again instead of watching days pass her by with very little to distinguish one from the next. 

Mel started pulling her in on more of her meetings with the various witches and the other magical creatures that showed up in their attic. Macy was fascinated by the intricate hierarchy of the different communities and how they were woven together to form the community at large. There were more politics involved than Macy ever realized and she spent hours with Mel learning all there was to know to keep the entire thing from collapsing in on itself. Macy was honestly impressed with how well Mel was handling it all. 

Maggie sought out her company more and more frequently as the weeks passed. From sitting at the table to help her study and walking to campus together in the morning to laying in Macy’s bed until the early hours in the morning while Maggie talked about trying to date again. She stayed close, but never smothering and the underlying tension that colored their interactions for months slowly dissipated. 

Her life wasn’t going to go back to normal, there wasn’t really a normal to get back to unless she went back in time to before she ever moved to Hilltowne. And there was no chance in hell she’d ever give up having her sisters in her life, not now. The new normal had taken some time to get adjusted to, but she was getting there. Slowly but surely. 

There was just one thing that hadn’t fallen back into place and that was Harry. His presence remained a constant in their lives, but it wasn’t the same as before and Macy couldn’t help but think that it was because of her. He still offered his assistance and vast knowledge of all things magical when it was needed, but the breakfasts and tea and lingering in the house for no other reason than to spend time with them became less frequent the more Macy was around. 

He was uncomfortable around her, that much was abundantly clear. She held the power of knowing how deeply his feeling for her ran. If the circumstances were reversed, Macy knew she probably wouldn’t be able to stand being in the same room with him. She needed a way to level the playing field again because she missed his friendship dearly. 

She just didn’t know how. 

* * *

The house was overflowing with satyrs. The bottom floor looked like a forest from a children’s book. There was music playing, but Macy couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. Laughter and good spirits spread like wildfire through their excitable guests and for a moment she lost herself in all of it. 

But then her eyes locked with Harry’s across the living room. He held her gaze for a breath, his eyes lit up in the warm light emanating through the room, but he ducked his head in the next. She watched him mutter something to group he’d been talking to before making a hasty exit down the hall. 

Macy learned her lesson the first time they’d encountered a satyr and hadn’t even attempted to keep up with the endless flow of wine in their glasses. She had had her fair share though and later she’d blame the warmth in her belly and lightness in her head for propelling her forward. She followed his path to the kitchen and found him at the sink with his back to her. 

“I want to be friends again,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. 

He started and spun around, sloshing some of the water from the cup he’d been filling onto the floor. 

“I’m sorry?” he asked, setting the glass on the counter and moving to dry his hand on the towel hanging over the handle of the stove. 

Warmth flooded her cheeks, but she didn’t want to stop now. This needed to be said and she was feeling bold enough to lay it all out. 

“I miss you, Harry.” 

He chuckled softly and shook his head. “I haven’t gone anywhere.” 

“I know,” she said and crossed the room to lean against the island. She twisted the stem of her wine glass between her fingers and furrowed her brows. “But you’ve been avoiding me.” 

He ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. He met her eyes again, the corner of his mouth quirked up. 

“You noticed?” 

A laugh bubbled out of her throat and she raised her eyebrows. “We used to have lunch together three times a week and tea every night. It’s hard not to notice.” 

“Well that was before you knew," he paused, waving his hand around aimlessly, “you knew what you know. I thought it best to give you your space considering everything else that happened.” 

“I appreciate that.” Macy said with a short nod. “But I don’t want anymore space and I don’t think that’s the only reason you’ve been keeping your distance.” 

His brow furrowed and he picked up his glass of water. He downed half of it in one go and let out a sigh.

“You’re right.” His eyes dropped to the floor and his grip on the glass tightened. 

Macy sucked in a breath, the courage fueled from the wine ebbing substantially. She brought her own glass to her lips and took a small sip. 

“I heard your feelings, so I think it’s only fair you get to hear mine.” 

She bit her lip and watched his eyes widen as realization washed over him. He held his hand up and shook his head. 

“Macy, no. You don’t need to do this.” 

“I want to because it’s the only thing that’s going to make this storm cloud over our heads go away,” she took a breath as his expression softened slightly. “You said we should forget, but it’s clear that that’s not working. So in order to move forward, we should talk about it.” 

“I can’t exactly argue with that,” he said, dropping his hand against his thigh. 

“I like you, Harry, in a more than friends kind of way.” She dropped her eyes to the deep red wine in her glass as she went on. “And it took me a little while to figure that out, but these feelings are here to stay whether we like or not.” 

She looked back up at his long exhale and found his back turned to her again. He was clutching the edge of the counter and she could imagine his chin was pressed to his chest. 

“Harry?” she asked softly. 

“This feels like a dream.” His voice was barely above the whisper, but it felt like it rang through the empty kitchen. The sounds of the party faded to the back of her mind and her sole focus was on him, silently willing him to face her again. 

“I can assure you it’s not a dream,” she said, finishing the rest of her wine. 

Slowly, he turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. He rubbed his chin and finally met her eyes again. 

“So what do we do now?” he asked. 

Macy shrugged her shoulders. “I honestly don’t know.” 

Silence stretched between them as Harry held her gaze. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but Macy felt like something shifted between them in that silence. There was a light at the end of this tunnel between them, solid ground for them to finally stand on. 

“We can take it day by day,” she suggested when it became clear that he wasn’t going to speak. 

He smiled, pushing away from the counter to stand on the other side of the counter. “Day by day?” 

“It’s worked for me so far.” 

He nodded. “I’d like that.” 

“Should we get back to our guests?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

“Yes, it’s only polite.” 

Macy offered a small smile and picked up her wine glass again. She turned to head back to the living room but she felt his warm fingers curl around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him chewing on his bottom lip nervously. His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist, sending small tingling waves up to her shoulder. 

“Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?”

She nodded without hesitation. “I’d like that a lot.” 

His responding grin was absolutely blinding. “I missed you too, Macy.” 

“I thought so.” 

He rounded the island and offered his arm to her. “Shall we?”

“After you.” 

They rejoined the party, but Macy’s mind was elsewhere. She felt like the pieces of her life were falling back into place. The pieces were different than before and it took some time figure out how they fit together again, but this felt right. 

Her eyes drifted around the room and she found Maggie laughing in a corner, surrounded by satyrs hanging on her every word. Mel was on the couch, listening attentively as their leaders voiced some concerns about demon activity near where a large number of their population was settled. She laid her head on Harry’s shoulder and drank it all in. 

This was her life now and as chaotic and unpredictable as it could be sometimes, she was happy to be really living it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a sticky note on my desk top of ideas and this one was literally "a rainy afternoon on Macy's balcony".


End file.
